ICarly
iCarly is an American teen sitcom that ran on Nickelodeon from September 8, 2007 until November 23, 2012. The series was created by Dan Schneider. It focuses on teenager Carly Shay, who creates her own web show called iCarly with her best friends Sam Puckett and Freddie Benson. The show stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly,Jennette McCurdy as Sam, Nathan Kress as Freddie, Jerry Trainor as Spencer, and Noah Munck as Gibby. It was taped at Nickelodeon on Sunset (season 1–5) and KTLA Studios (Season 6–7) in Hollywood, California. It was originally rated TV-Y7, and later changed to TV-G. The series finale, "iGoodbye", aired on November 23, 2012. Contents hide * 1 Development * 2 Plot * 3 Characters ** 3.1 Main characters ** 3.2 Recurring characters * 4 Episodes ** 4.1 Multi-part installments ** 4.2 iParty with Victorious ** 4.3 Season 5 onward ** 4.4 Broadcast history * 5 DVD releases * 6 Other media ** 6.1 Music ** 6.2 Website ** 6.3 Video games ** 6.4 Spin-off series * 7 Reception ** 7.1 Critical ** 7.2 Awards and nominations * 8 Broadcast * 9 References * 10 External links Development iCarly is the fourth series created by Dan Schneider for Nickelodeon. Schneider originally wanted to make a new TV series starring Miranda Cosgrove; the original idea was that she play a normal girl who, in a twist of fate, gets cast to star in her favorite TV show, Starstruck. However, during a casual meeting in his den with his wife and his friend Steve, Schneider decided that it would be much better if Carly had her own show – a show she could run herself, the way she wanted, and do whatever she wanted to do which would become a web show. In November 2006, Schneider threw out his Starstruck script and wrote a brand new pilot called iCarly during December. The pilot was shot in January 2007.1 During production of Zoey 101, Schneider came up with the idea of the show and its name with his friend and producer of The Big Bang Theory, Steve Molaro. He was trying to think of a good title for the new series about kids who start their own web show. The pilot script followed the lead girl's name was "Sam" but the URL for iSam was already taken. Schneider tried other girl's names and bought the URL for iJosie, but later switched to iCarly and loved the name for the lead character. The names of the two lead girls were then changed from Sam and Kira to Carly and Sam.2 Plot When Carly and her sassy best friend Sam act funny at a school talent show audition, tech-savvy Freddie tapes it and posts it online without telling them. After seeing the girls' strong chemistry and banter, the online audience clamors for more and the iCarly webcast is born. While grappling with typical issues of adolescence, Carly, Sam, and Freddie find out that they have also become online celebrities as their show – which features talent contests, recipes, problem-solving, and random dancing – garners international accolades. Carly lives in Seattle, Washington with her 26-year-old brother and guardian Spencer and produces the show in a makeshift third-floor studio loft in their apartment. Their father, Steven Shay, is a U.S. Air Force officer stationed on a submarine, and is often mentioned and is only seen in person during the series' finale episode, "iGoodbye". Exterior shots of the Shays' apartment building, Bushwell Plaza, are digitally altered images of the Eastern Columbia Building in Los Angeles.[citation needed] Characters Main article: List of iCarly characters Main characters Season 4 main characters: (left to right) Gibby (Noah Munck), Spencer Shay (Jerry Trainor), Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove), Freddie Benson (Nathan Kress) and Sam Puckett (Jennette McCurdy) * Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove) is the host of her own popular web show, iCarly, which she produces with her two best friends, Sam and Freddie. * Sam Puckett (Jennette McCurdy) is one of Carly's best friends and co-host of iCarly. * Freddie Benson (Nathan Kress) is also one of Carly's good friends and neighbor. He is the technical producer of iCarly. * Spencer Shay (Jerry Trainor) is Carly's eccentric older brother and legal guardian. * Gibby (Noah Munck) (Recurring Season 1–3, Main Cast 4–7) is an odd friend of Carly, Sam and Freddie. Recurring characters * Marissa Benson (Mary Scheer) is Freddie's overbearing and overprotective mother (often referred to by Sam as Freddie's "freakish mother"). * Lewbert Sline (Jeremy Rowley) is the doorman for the building in which Carly, Spencer, and Freddie live, characterized by his annoying, protective behavior and a large wart on his face. He is often being pranked by the kids on iCarly. * Nevel Papperman (Reed Alexander) is a critic who runs the nevelocity.com website, a site that reviews other websites, including iCarly.com. He is Carly's nemesis and has constantly tried to sabotage iCarly in exchange for a kiss from Carly. * T-Bo (BooG!e) is the manager at the Groovy Smoothie. He often annoys customers into buying random foods (i.e. bell peppers, bagels, tacos), which are always impaled on a stick. Starting in "iQ", he began renting a room from Freddie's mother. * Guppy (Ethan Munck) is Gibby's younger brother and often tags along with Gibby. * Chuck Chambers (Ryan Ochoa) is a child in the Shays' apartment building who constantly torments Spencer. * Principal Ted Franklin (Tim Russ) is the principal at Ridgeway Secondary School, the school where Carly, Sam, and Freddie attend. He is very fair and is a big fan of iCarly. * Ms. Francine Briggs (Mindy Sterling) is a very strict English teacher at Ridgeway Secondary School who shows an obvious dislike for children. * Mr. Howard (David St. James) is a strict and unenthusiastic teacher who hates almost everything including his wife. * Chip Chambers (Jacob Bertrand) is Chuck Chambers younger brother who torments Spencer after he gets his brother thrown into military school. Episodes Main article: List of iCarly episodes Multi-part installments iParty with Victorious A crossover between iCarly and Victorious was completed in 2010; iParty with Victorious aired on June 11, 2011. The crossover is considered a 3-part episode of iCarly. A two-hour extended version debuted August 27, 2011. Season 5 onward In late January 2011, while doing press for her North American Dancing Crazy concert tour, Miranda Cosgrove began telling news sources that she was looking forward to returning to Hollywood to begin filming a fifth season of iCarly.192021 On January 27, 2011, Cosgrove told Cleveland Live News "We're getting ready to start the next season, right after the tour. I would be willing to do the show as long as people like it and as long as it works."19 On January 28, 2011, Reuters news agency also reported that Cosgrove was preparing to begin filming a 5th season of iCarly,20 and on February 3, 2011 Cosgrove told The Middletown Press, when speaking of the show and her co-stars Jennette McCurdy and Nathan Kress, "I've known them since I was little. I can't wait to get back. I'm really comfortable doing iCarly. It's like my home away from home."21Cosgrove concluded her Dancing Crazy concert tour on February 24, 2011, and Jennette McCurdy finished her Generation Love mall tour on April 14, 2011.22 The entire cast did not even get together until the 2011 Kids' Choice Awards. Cosgrove confirmed that filming would resume shortly.23 At the 2011 Kids' Choice Awards, Jerry Trainor stated that filming would resume in May.24 On April 14, 2011, Nickelodeon officially announced the fifth and final production season renewal of iCarly to begin in 2012 with the episodes airing later that year.25 These episodes would air as the show's sixth season due to the second season production of 45 episodes being split into two broadcast seasons.2627 The third production season originally consisted of 26 episodes as ordered in early 2010, however half that amount was shot from May to September 2010 that aired as the show's fourth season. Dan Schneider then shot the next half in May 2011 to July which became a whole new season production that aired as the show's fifth season later that year. However, due to Miranda's leave for a tour on July 15, 2011, only eleven episodes were produced and the last two were held over and produced during filming of the show's final season. The final season, Season 7, began on March 24, 2012 with a total of fifteen episodes to air.28 However, after a four-month hiatus after six episodes of the season aired from March to June, "iShock America" was promoted as the start of a new season for the last batch of episodes,2930 effectively splitting the season into two. The series ended on November 23, 2012 with the episode "iGoodbye". Broadcast history * Nickelodeon (September 8, 2007 – present) * TeenNick (October 18, 2009 – present) DVD releases Note: The season DVDs are released by the production seasons. Other media Music Columbia Records and Nickelodeon Records have released a soundtrack for the show entitled iCarly. It includes the theme song and four original songs by Miranda Cosgrove. Several tracks by guest artists and cast dialogue are also included. A follow-up soundtrack, titled iSoundtrack II, came out on January 24, 2012.40 Website In reality, the iCarly.com website contains many promotional videos by the cast (as their respective characters), as well as content created and sent in by viewers. Other features on the site include characters' blogs, pictures from the set, songs, games, and comments from viewers. Many fictional websites from this show redirect to this page. For example, Zaplook, SplashFace, ToonJuice, CraigsMix, Nevelocity, GirlyCow.com, WebFlicks.com, RadioDingo.com, PillowMyHead.com, AggressiveParenting.com, SamPuckett.com, TheValerieShow.com, SendMeaSack.com, Beavecoon.org, NeverWatchiCarly.com, iSnarly.com, SprayYourChildren.com, WhatsWrongWithMyBody.com, and any other website mentioned on the show redirect to this page. Video games An animated PC hidden object game, iCarly: iDream in Toons, was released by Nickelodeon on their Nick Arcade. Jerry Trainor is the only actor from the cast who lends his voice to the game, the rest of the characters' speech being dubbed with typing sounds on a keyboard. On May 13, 2009, Nickelodeon announced they had reached an agreement with Activision to produce an iCarly video game for the Nintendo DS and Wii. The game was released October 28, 2009. The cast lend their voices in the videogame. A sequel, iCarly 2: iJoin the Click, was released on November 16, 2010 for the same platforms. On January 11, 2010, the official iCarly Facebook page announced the release of an application called "Sam's Remote" exclusively for iPhone and iPod Touch. This app consists of Sam's remote, which she uses on live casts of iCarly in the show, where one pushes different buttons and they make silly sound effects. Available through the iTunes App Store for $1.99 download. Spin-off series Main article: Sam & Cat Two spin-off series have been proposed as pilots for Nickelodeon, and were both announced during the network's presentation at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on August 3, 2012.41 The first is Sam & Cat, which would pair Ariana Grande from Victorious and Jennette McCurdy together in a traditional "buddy sitcom" setting as their characters, Cat Valentine and Sam Puckett. The pilot suggests they will be roommates who launch a babysitting business for income. The show was picked up by Nickelodeon on November 29, 2012,42 and premiered on June 8, 2013. The second proposed spin-off featured Noah Munck's character Gibby Gibson into a self-titled sitcom named Gibby where the character works at a recreation center as a mentor to four middle school students.4344The series was not picked up. Reception Critical iCarly received mixed reviews from critics. Carey Bryson of About.com, gave the show 2 1/2 stars, concluding "The show's comedic elements don't all rest on the irreverent, though, there are some clever storylines and even a few touching moments. Overall, the show has some great comedy, interesting stories, and fun actors."45 The show was awarded 3 stars by Common Sense Media reviewer Emily Ashby, who praised that "the show isn't designed to be educational, per se, but young viewers will learn a bit about interacting with media."46 On the more positive side, Hollywood.com's Michelle Lee considered the show to be the best sitcom since Arrested Development: "Like the Lost fan rejecting every Lost-like show that came after it, I resented all of the shaky single-camera docu-style comedies that came after Arrested's demise. Because, frankly, my favorite dead show did it better. I needed something completely different to break me out of my comedy funk and get me back on that horse. And it worked."47 Awards and nominations In 2010 and 2011 debuted the kids choice awards Latin America: Kids choice awards México and kids choice awards Argentina. These awards are new. iCarly was part of these awards (Mexico Kids Choice Awards, Kids Choice Awards Argentina) because the series still not finished until 2012. Broadcast Worldwide the series aired on Nickelodeon. In Canada it premiered on October 8, 2007 on YTV and on November 3, 2009 on the original channel and ended on December 1, 2012 on the former. In Australia and New Zealand it premiered on October 29, 2007 and ended on April 13, 2013. It premiered on March 8, 2008 and ended on April 5, 2013 in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In India it premiered on TeenNick on January 23, 2013. | :|}} }}}} Category:ICarly Category:2000s American television series Category:2007 American television series debuts Category:2000s Nickelodeon shows Category:2010s American television series Category:2010s Nickelodeon shows Category:American children's comedy series Category:American television sitcoms Category:English-language television series Category:Teen sitcoms Category:Television shows set in Seattle, Washington Category:Nickelodeon shows Category:2007 television series debuts